2024-25 Upper Elementary Tour Materials

Upper Elementary Tour Materials

Next steps Thank you for exploring Blake. We hope your visit offered new insights and heightened your interest in Blake for your child. Below are next steps in the admissions process. n

Apply to Blake I f you have not already applied for admission to Blake, we encourage you to do so. Links to our online application for the 2025–26 school year can be found on the admissions page of the Blake website (blakeschool.org/admissions). The first-round application deadline for admission next fall is January 31, 2025.

n Schedule Screening (Pre-K to grade 5) or Testing (grades 6–12) for Your Child nce you submit an application, you can schedule O screening or testing for your child. Applicants from Pre-K to grade 5 schedule an on-campus screening through Blake’s admissions portal. Applicants to grades 6 through 12 can register for the Secondary School Admissions Test at ssat.org.

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Schedule a Visit for Your Child nce you submit an application, we will reach out O to you to schedule a visit for your child. Spending a day (or part of a day for our youngest applicants) at Blake is a terrific way for students to experience classroom and social life here.

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Apply for Financial Assistance e welcome your interest in financial assistance to W afford Blake. You can find information about our needbased financial assistance program and application on the Blake website. The deadline for submit­ting an application for financial assistance is January 31, 2025.

Please call the Admissions Office at 952-988-3420 if you have questions.

110 Blake Road South • Hopkins, Minnesota 55343 tel 952-988-3420 • fax 952-988-3455 • www.blakeschool.org

Thank you for considering Blake. Our goal is to create a personalized, warm and enjoyable experience for every family as they discover what their child can become at Blake.

We are happy to answer any questions, so feel free to contact us.

Joe Silvestri Director of Admissions and Financial Assistance School: (952) 988-3422 Mobile: (612) 437-5259 JSilvestri@BlakeSchool.org Tony Andrade Associate Director of Admissions Grades 6–12 Admissions Coordinator School: (952) 988-3424 Mobile: (612) 916-2046 TAndrade@BlakeSchool.org Lynn Loew Assistant Director of Financial Assistance Grades 2–5 Admissions Coordinator School: (952) 988-3423 Mobile: (612) 368-5420 LLoew@BlakeSchool.org Laura Mark Assistant Director of Admissions for Early Childhood Education, Grades Pre-K–Grade 1 School: (952) 988-3570 Mobile: (612) 368-5420 LMark@BlakeSchool.org

Upper Elementary Fostering Individuality, Celebrating Community

Upper Elementary students thrive in a building right-sized to their needs, which includes 14 classrooms, a library, an art studio, an engineering and programming lab and a music and strings room.

LEARNING HOW TO LEARN Upper Elementary teachers create an environment where each student is encouraged to explore their own unique learning style. Students not only formulate answers to questions posed by adults, they also construct their own questions and learning objectives.

The Upper Elementary years are a time when children become increasingly sophisticated in how they learn, process and understand the world. When the critical transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn” happens, generally between third and fourth grades, students are guided by expert educators in all academic areas. This is also an age when students build upon their

own prior knowledge to forge new understandings. As they pursue these ideas, they build initiative, develop autonomy and gain confidence.

LEARNING IN COMMUNITY Blake educators are committed to supporting all students as they develop academically, socially and emotionally.

Students form strong relationships with teachers and other Upper Elementary adults, who serve as mentors and caregivers.

In Upper Elementary, the fluid friendship dynamics of younger years develop into closer relationships. Learning

SCHOOL HOURS & EXTENDED DAY

experiences are tailored to foster group and social dynamics, as students collaborate to research, create and problemsolve. Students are encouraged to challenge themselves, to support their peers, to make mistakes and to grow. Each student is known and celebrated by their classmates and the adults around them.

In Upper Elementary, a student’s day is from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Complimentary morning care is available each weekday from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on a drop-in basis. Optional afternoon Extended Day is offered each weekday from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. Each afternoon includes a snack and a variety of free play and structured activities. Children may enroll one or more days per week.

OUR CAMPUS Upper Elementary is located on Blake’s campus in Hopkins, which is home to students from pre-kindergarten to grade eight. Spreading over 55 acres of rolling hills, three distinct school settings (Early Learning Center, Upper Elementary and Middle School) serve students as they grow and develop from early childhood to early adolescence.

TRANSPORTATION Blake owns and operates its bus service and offers both door-to-door service and central stops throughout the metro area. Busing is available in the morning and at 3:30 p.m.

TUITION & FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Upper Elementary students have access to the campus’s grass and turf fields, ice arena, swimming pool, and performing arts center. Upper Elementary learners have the opportunity to be mentored by older students, and to mentor younger students, through Blake’s buddy program and other inter-grade activities.

Lower School

Upper Elementary

Tuition for Upper Elementary grades during the 2025-26 school year is $38,598. Tuition includes all school fees such as lunch, supplies and field trips. Afternoon Extended Day fees are between $1,291 and $6,231, depending on the number of days attending. Need-based financial assistance is available to families who apply and qualify.

Grade Level

Number of classrooms

Students per classroom

Teachers per classroom

Second Grade

3

21

1.5

Third grade

3

21

1.5

Fourth grade

4

21

1.5

Fifth grade

4

21

1.5

FOR MORE INFORMATION Lynn Loew, Grade 2-5 Admissions Coordinator and Assistant Director of Financial Assistance 952-988-3423 • lloew@blakeschool.org

2020–21

Financial Assistance

$9.1

Financial assistance awards range from

Family income of those receiving tuition assistance ranges from less than $20,000 to more than $300,000

MILLION in financial assistance grants

95%

Financial assistance awards ARE GRANTS

NOT LOANS

AWARDS MADE TO

ALL GRADES

5%

300+ 26% MORE THAN

100% of course material costs for those who qualify

of Blake students receive financial assistance

students receive grants each year

$600,000 $40,000 for participation in global programs

Average financial assistance award is

$15,000 for summer academic courses

70%

Ave rage Financial of tuition ($26,939) award

Total Tuition in additional financial assistance awarded to support students beyond tuition including but not limited to:

100% of costs for Blake transportation

100% of costs for the Lower School Extended Day program

Assistance for Assistance for Lower School before Advanced Placement and after school exams and ACT/SAT enrichment programs registration

BLAKE ALUMNI AROUND THE GLOBE ► An education at Blake opens the door to an extensive Alumni network. ► Blake alumni far and near are living purposeful lives as community and global citizens. ► The five states with the most alumni include Minnesota, California, New York, Florida and Colorado. ► Blake alumni encompass all former students of Blake, Northrop, Highcroft and The Blake School, including those who left prior to graduation. Once you’ve attended Blake, we always have a place for you.

210 82

27

11

48

34

5483

125

22

12

38

364

142

71

17

29 36 907 17

► Alumni engagement opportunities: Alumni Board Class Representatives Regional networking events Online alumni directory

305

122 79

36

3

221

20

33

74 4

144

5

38

100

9

44

100

17 6

225

63

38

43

21

246

16

79

100

15

357

Top five alumni states in brown 17

Nearly 200 alumni live outside the United States. The country with the most alumni outside of the U.S is the United Kingdom, followed by Canada.

19

1

Stay up to date with Blake alumni news and events on social media www.facebook.com/blakeschoolalumni.

Fall 2021

PROFILE 2023–2024 OVERVIEW

BLAKE BY THE NUMBERS

Founded in 1900, Blake is a coeducational, independent, nonsectarian day school serving 1,330 students on two campuses, Hopkins (Pre-K to 8) and Minneapolis (9 to 12).

In small classes and through comprehensive curr­iculum, students from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences find common ground in shared values. Blake provides ample opportunities for students to develop outside of the classroom. They not only become critical thinkers but also leaders, artists, athletes and citizens of the world.

74%

16

faculty with advanced degrees

9:1

average class size

student-adult ratio

OUR STUDENTS

50+ 60

local communities represented

37%

identify as Students of Color

50+

languages spoken at home

25% 25%

receive financial assistance

96%

advance from Blake Middle to Upper School

535

enrolled in Upper School (grades 9-12)

37%

Upper School admit rate

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

POST-AP COURSES

22 credits in seven disciplines:

• Computer Science • English • Math • Modern & Classical Languages • Social Studies/History • Science • Visual, Performing Arts & Debate

English

• A ll senior electives

offered at post-AP level Computer Science

• A dvanced Topics

in Computer Science & Intermediate Programming with Python (CMU)

Other courses include:

• 5 AP courses in Humanities • 16 honors and AP courses in STEM • 4 AP courses in Modern

& Classical Languages • Independent Study, by application • Senior Seminar: Communication & Society: Senior Capstone Course Enrollment in and advancement in honors and AP courses in math, science and social studies requires a minimum grade or departmental approval. Students cannot enroll in AP social studies courses until junior year.

• A dvanced Hispanic

Culture & Literature

• A dvanced Topics: Chinese Culture & Literature

• A dvanced Topics:

Hispanic Theater & Film

• A dvanced Topics:

• A dvanced Topics:

• A dvanced Classics:

• Advanced Topics: Graph

• A dvanced Classics:

• Advanced Topics: Linear

Social Studies

Conjectures, Refutations & Proofs* Theory & Network*

Algebra with Topics in Multi­-variable Calculus* • Advanced Topics: Interest Theory & Actuarial Math*

• Academic immersion

Modern & Classical Languages

Math *0ffered on a rotation, year-to-year

GLOBAL LEARNING

LeMonde Francophone

Age of Augustus and Empire

courses are led by Blake faculty who partner with local organizations.

Destinations have included China, Sierra Leone, Cuba, Vietnam, Morocco, India, U.S.-Mexico border and Rwanda.

• Through Global Online Academy (GOA), a consortium of leading independent schools, students learn about real-world topics in a global community.

• Blake partners with

Politics & Poetry

School Year Abroad, the High Mountain Institute, the Alzar School and other organizations for off-campus study.

• A dvanced Topics: Research

UPPER SCHOOL CO-CURRICULARS Athletics

Student Leadership

80% of Upper School students participate in at least one of 32 sports on 77 different athletic teams. (Students commute from the Upper School to Blake’s athletic facilities in Hopkins.)

Forum, student government; Commun­­ity Judiciary Board; Student InterAction Committee (SIAC); peer counselors; Bear-to-Bear peer tutoring; Student Diversity Leadership Council; Student Interview and Recommendation Committee.

Visual & Performing Arts Includes two choral ensem­ bles, two instrumental ensembles and three annual stage productions. Students lead an average of six curated gallery shows and attend 45 debate tournaments per year.

Student Publications Spectrum, award-winning student news­paper; Flash, literary arts magazine; yearbook.

Academic Clubs DECA, Quiz Bowl, Science Olympiad, math team, robotics, mock trial, ModelUN, debate.

Service Learning 25% of Upper School students choose to participate in Com­munity Service Board committees and/or Service Path Recognition where they volunteer for at least 100 hours in one year.

Affinity Groups Student-led spaces for identitybased affirmation and support.

Specific groups focus on gender, sexuality, religion, race, ethnicity, family structure and ability.

Clubs & Organizations Approved and sponsored by the student govern­ment.

Groups focus on creative writing, history, politics, languages, chess, arts, finance, e-sports, rocket science, the environment and more.

Grade Interpretation

GRADE POINT AVERAGE 2024 3.55 131

GPA* Class size

2023 3.63 134

2022 3.57 131

A 4.00 A– 3.67 B+ 3.33 B 3.00 B– 2.67 C+ 2.33 C 2.00 C– 1.67 D+1.33 D 1.00 F no credit

Blake does not rank students or weight grades. Blake discloses suspensions per college request. * Includes all Blake courses taken during the academic year beginning in ninth grade through junior year.

STANDARDIZED TESTING & AWARDS

2024

2023

2022

Composite

30.1

30.4

30.1

704 701 1406

712 722 1434

ACT Median Score SAT Mean Score EBRW Math Composite

691 704 1396

ACT Average Comparison

SAT Average Comparison

36

1450

The Blake Class of 2024

The Blake Class of 2024

32

1350

30.1

30

1300

28

1250

26

1200

22 18

1201

1150

24 20

1396

1400

34

1100

20.8

19.5

1050

1028

1000 NATIONAL ’23

MN ’23

NATIONAL ’23

BLAKE ’24

In Minnesota, 68% of graduating seniors took the ACT.

MN ’23

BLAKE ’24

In Minnesota, 3% of graduating seniors took the SAT.

Number of Test Takers

2022–23 AP Exam Scores

ACT 2024 103

SAT 2023 114

2022 114

2024 23

2024

2023 27 2023

National Merit

2022 27 2022

Semifinalists/Finalists Commended National Hispanic Scholar Total Percent of class

13 17 0 30 23%

12 5 0 17 13%

7 18 0 25 19%

AP Scholars (3 exams) Scholars: Honors (4 exams) Scholars: Distinction (5+ exams) AP International Diploma (7+ exams) Total

12* 12*

15 17

16 14

22*

32

23

1* 47*

1 65

0 53

Biology Calculus AB Calculus BC Chemistry English Language English Literature European History French Lang & Culture Latin Literature Physics I Physics C, Mechanics Physics C, E & M Spanish Lang & Culture Statistics U.S. Gov’t & Pol U.S. History

Total Tests Score: 4 27 45 38 16 11 30 25 9 10 40 14 12 35 35 44 71

8 13 12 8 4 5 5 6 3 20 7 7 14 9 6 15

Score: 5 9 4 21 8 6 21 13 2 0 10 4 2 12 8 7 16

COVID-19: Blake shifted to remote learning for the fourth quarter of 2019–2020. Blake started 2020–2021 in a hybrid model, with half of the student body in the building each day. On Nov. 5, 2020, Blake moved to full remote learning and then resumed the hybrid model on January 19, 2021. In the 2021–22 academic year, Blake returned to full in-person teaching and learning. Students received letter grades for all courses and school years.

MISSION Blake engages students with a dynamic, academically challenging education in a diverse and suppor­­tive community committed to pluralism and a common set of values. Students pursue an integrated program of academic, artistic and athletic activities, preparing for college, lifelong learning and purposeful lives as community and global citizens.

COMMITMENT TO PLURALISM A vibrant learning environment

springs from a diverse school community. For this reason, Blake seeks and values students, families and employees with a wide range of backgrounds, identities and life experiences.

Individually and collectively, we strive for understanding across differences in an inclusive environment where everyone can belong, contribute and thrive.

CORE VALUES Respect Love of Learning Integrity Courage

ADMINISTRATION Anne E. Stavney, Ph.D. Head of School Joseph J. Ruggiero, Ph.D. Upper School Director

COLLEGE COUNSELING Sara Kyle Director of College Counseling skyle@blakeschool.org Jim Mahoney Associate Director of College Counseling jmahoney@blakeschool.org Nora Main Associate Director of College Counseling nmain@blakeschool.org Wendy Johnson College Counseling Coordinator werickson@blakeschool.org CJ Jones Eckhardt College Counseling Liaison cjeckhardt@blakeschool.org Amanda Minoff College Counseling Liaison aminoff@blakeschool.org

ACCREDITATION Independent Schools Administration of the Central States (ISACS)

COLLEGE MATRICULATION 2019–2023 Five or More Graduates Boston College Boston University Brown University University of CaliforniaLos Angeles University of CaliforniaSan Diego Carleton College Carnegie Mellon University University of Chicago Claremont McKenna College Colby College Colgate University University of ColoradoBoulder Colorado College Cornell University

7 11 8 9 5 12 5 5 11 5 9 13 10 7

University of Denver 7 DePaul University 6 Duke University 5 Gustavus Adolphus College 5 Indiana University-Bloomington 6 Loyola Marymount University 10 Macalester College 15 Miami University, Oxford 7 Middlebury College 11 University of MinnesotaTwin Cities 37 New York University 7 Northeastern University 7 Northwestern University 17 Oregon State University 10 University of Pennsylvania 6 Pitzer College 5

Purdue University 5 Rice University 6 Southern Methodist University 8 St. John’s University 5 St. Olaf College 11 Tufts University 10 Tulane University 14 Wake Forest University 7 Washington University in St. Louis 14 Wellesley College 5 Union College (NY) 10 University of WisconsinMadison 22 Yale University 14

Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College University of Hawaii at Manoa High Point University Hobart William Smith Colleges Hofstra University College of the Holy Cross Howard University University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois Wesleyan University Iowa State University University of Iowa Johns Hopkins University University of Kansas Kenyon College Knox College Lafayette College Lake Forest College Lawrence University Lehigh University Lewis & Clark College List College - JTS Louisiana State University Luther College Marist College Marquette University Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Miami University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Michigan Technical University Minnesota State University-Mankato Montclair State University University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Dakota Northland College University of Notre Dame Occidental College Ohio State University Pace University-New York City Pennsylvania State University Pomona College Princeton University Providence College

University of Puget Sound Reed College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute University of Richmond College of Saint Benedict University of San Diego Santa Clara University School of the Art Institute of Chicago Scripps College Skidmore College Smith College University of Southern California St. Catherine University St. Lawrence University Stanford University Syracuse University The George Washington University The New School Texas Christian University Trinity College Trinity College Dublin Trinity University United States Merchant Marine Academy University of St. Andrews University of St. Thomas University of Sydney University of Utah Valparaiso University Vanderbilt University Vassar College University of Vermont Villanova University Virginia Military Institute University of Virginia Washington and Lee University University of Washington-Seattle Wesleyan University Wheaton College Whittier College Whitman College William & Mary Williams College The College of Wooster

One to Four Graduates The University of Alabama American University Amherst College Arizona State University University of Arizona Augsburg University Babson College Barnard College Bates College Berklee College of Music Bowdoin College Bradley University Brandeis University Bryn Mawr College University of California-Berkeley University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara Camberwell College of Arts Case Western Reserve University Chapman University Clemson University University of Colorado Denver Colorado State UniversityFort Collins Columbia College Chicago Columbia UniversityCity of New York Connecticut College Culinary Institute of America Dalhousie University Dartmouth College Davidson College Deerfield Academy Denison University Drake University Durham University University of Edinburgh Elon University Emory University Flagler College Fordham University Fort Lewis College Furman University Georgetown University Gonzaga University Grinnell College Hamilton College

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The Blake School • 511 Kenwood Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55403 • 952-988-3744 • CEEB 241635

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